Abstract:

In the context of lifelong learning, employees are expected to build up their knowledge, expand their skills, and increase their competencies – inside and outside of work. While at work, employees are faced with increasingly digitalized communication, especially due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Pop-up notifications in messenger apps, emails, and group chats on business communication platforms are examples of digital interruptions that increase the cognitive load of employees at work and distract not only from ongoing tasks but especially from learning processes. This paper explores the question of how employees deal with digital interruptions when learning in work environments.

Digital interruptions refer to breaks from ongoing activities due to the introduction of new activities with or through a digital device. Interruptions can have an external or internal origin and may thus be initiated by outside elements or acts of self-interruption. Workplace learning is understood to be an active process where learners engage with the environment and are influenced by it at the same time. In broad terms, the term ‘workplace’ refers to physical, inter-personal, intra-personal, and virtual places. Workplace learning takes formal and planned training, informal learning such as problem-solving inside the work environment, but also (non-)workplace-related learning outside the work environment into account.

To understand how employees deal with digital interruptions while learning at work, a qualitative approach was taken. We conducted this study with employees of the health care, corporate, and public administration sectors and held a total of 28 semi-standardized interviews. Qualitative content analysis was performed based on five categories deducted from relevant literature, such as ‘learning at work’ and ‘barriers to learning’.

Results indicate that interview partners prefer certain learning strategies and know what works for them to reduce interruptions in their learning processes. They could describe a set of actions related to electronic device settings (e.g. phone on silent mode) and device handling (e.g. turning off the computer while studying). Filtering mechanisms, such as checking the sender of a message or prioritizing certain channels, were described to be used regularly. The interview partners clearly distinguished between work-related and private interruptions. Surprisingly, work-related interruptions seem to be the real barriers to learning at work. When the interview partners addressed the relationship between job and learning, it became apparent that learning processes were not necessarily perceived as the "actual job." Not only are digital interruptions (Skype, work cell phone, emails) from colleagues and superiors given priority over learning, a lack of respect for learning activities – apparent in requests for the prioritization of work tasks – was mentioned as well. Besides, a clear call was issued for employers to take an active role in the design of digital communication rules. This raises the question of the importance and role of workplace learning and the understanding thereof.

A limitation of this study is that it attempts to evaluate a status-quo in volatile circumstances and in times of change. Notwithstanding its limitations, this study suggests that employers need to consider digital communication rules when designing and creating space for learning scenarios, both formal and informal ones, at work.

Keywords:

Digital interruptions, workplace learning, informal learning, formal learning, digital devices at work.